Month: December 2022

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Preparations for inauguration of president-elect Lula da Silva in final stage

Brasilia – The arrangements for the inauguration of Brazil’s president-elect Luís Inácio Lula da Silva are in the final phase.

The Angolan president João Lourenço will attend the ceremony, also expected to bring together 17 heads of State and representatives from 120 countries, scheduled for Sunday (January 1).

The arrangements are taking place at a time the south American country has decreed a three-day mourning in tribute to the king of football Pelé, who died Thursday at the age of 82, victim of illness.

The attention to the death of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé, is being shared with the preparations for Lula da Silva’s inauguration ceremony.

According to the programme, the ceremony is set to start at around 2 p.m. (6 p.m. in Angola) on Sunday, January 1, 2023.

Around 300,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, in addition to the guests.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Angola’s participation in CHAN allows to gauge competitive capacity – minister

Luanda – Angola’s minister of Youth and Sports Palmira Barbosa said Friday that the participation of the National Football Team in the CHAN2023 from 13 January to 4 February in Algeria will enable the country to measure the competitive level of the local league (Girabola).

This was during an official farewell ceremony in honour of the delegation and the hand-over of the flag held at the Sports Gallery.

Addressing the players and federation officials (FAF), Barbosa said that the African Championship will give the country’s footballers an opportunity to show off their talent at international level.

The minister said that in case of excellent performances in the CHAN some national players may find the opportunity to sign for foreign clubs.

In turn, the head of the delegation and vice-president of the Angolan Football Federation (FAF), Paulo Neto, assured the technical and logistic conditions for the training in Portugal, predicting a good performance of the team in Algerian territory.

Angola shares the group D along with Mali, with whom they face on 16 January, and Mauritania, on 20 January.

This is the third participation of the National Team in the competition, reserved for players who play in their respective countries, after Sudan2011, where they finished second after losing 3-0 in the final to Tunisia.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Angola reiterates role of bilateral relations with Brazil

Brasília – Angolan Government reaffirmed the importance of historical relations with the Federative Republic of Brazil, which is expected to become increasingly stronger, mainly with the inauguration of Lula da Silva, according to the minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte Antonio.

In Brasília, since the early hours of Friday, Téte António recalled the historical relations and the various stages of development of bilateral cooperation, including the signing of a strategic partnership between the two countries.

“The President is coming to participate in Lula da Silva’s inauguration, and we know what the relationship between Angola and Brazil was like during President Lula’s time”, he said.

In his view, Lula da Silva’s first term was in a period in which the relationship between the two countries was most comprehensive in terms of cooperation, auguring that this trend will continue.

Speaking to the Angolan press in Brasília for coverage of Lula da Silva’s inauguration ceremony, the Angolan top diplomat also said that the relationship between Angola and Brazil is no longer just political, but an established relationship between the two peoples.

Téte António highlighted areas in the field of cooperation, looking at the paradigm shift in both countries.

New deals on sight

According to minister Téte António, Angola has already identified new cooperation agreements with Brazil.

Without going into detail, he highlighted the Memorandum of Understanding, yet to be signed, linked to the area of financing for the Agriculture and Industry sectors, as part of the diversification of the Angolan economy.

There is a change on our side that should also be reflected in the cooperation with our strategic partners, as is the case of Brazil”, he said, looking at the position that this country occupies in terms of economic growth in the world.

In the American continent, it is the third economy, after the United States of America (US) and Canada, and the ninth economy in the world, potential that Angola wants to continue to take advantage of for the growth of its economy.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Interior minister praises CISP’s performance

Luanda – Angolan minister of the Interior Eugénio Laborinho praised Friday the work that the Integrated Public Security Center (CISP) has carried out to improve the sense of security of citizens with the use of modern technologies.

The official was addressing the third anniversary of the CISP, a technological platform created to respond, in good time, to requests from citizens in the event of changes in public order and catastrophes.

According to the minister, the work of the CISP has contributed to improving the feeling of public security, through the use of modern technologies, for whom the implementation of this project has positively boosted public security in Angola.

“Three years after its inauguration, we celebrate with great satisfaction and joy the positive achievements that this ambitious project has provided in helping to clarify crimes of different nature”, he pointed out.

According to the minister, these accomplishments were only positive thanks to the employees assigned to different institutions who continue to provide their knowledge in favour of improving public security, assisted by public and private entities, with emphasis on strategic partners such as China

He expressed the need to improve technical and human capacity, with stress to the specialised training of local staff to support and guarantee the functionality of the system in its entirety.

The minister, however, expressed concern about the high rate of fake calls that terminal 111 has received, appealing to citizens to make rational use of this asset, under penalty of being criminally liable.

During the year about to end, CISP received more than four million calls via terminal 111, of which around three million were considered invalid.

Inaugurated in December 2019 by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, CISP is an integrated system for managing operations and responding to incidents, which aims, among other things, to expand the exchange of information between police forces and strategic security across the country.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Angolan head of state arrives in Brasilia for inauguration of Lula da Silva

Brasilia – Angolan Head of State João Lourenço arrived early afternoon Friday in Brasilia, Brazil, to attend the inauguration of the President-elect Luís Inácio Lula da Silva set for Sunday, 1 January, 2023.

At the Brasilia Military Air Base, Lourenço was received by Kenneth Félix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Secretary of Bilateral Negotiations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa at the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.

Accompanied by the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço, the Statesman also received greetings from high officials of the Angolan State, such as the minister of Foreign Affairs Téte António, and the Ambassador to Brazil Florêncio de Almeida.

Other 16 heads of State will arrive in Brasilia after João Lourenço, as well as representatives of 120 countries.

The ceremony will have three moments, with the first one in the National Congress, followed by another one at the Presidential Palace (Planalto Palace) and, finally, at the headquarters of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (Itamaraty Palace).

Technical cooperation between Angola and Brazil began to take shape in 1980 with the signing of the Agreement on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, on 11 June of that year.

Under this agreement, Angola and Brazil developed cooperation in the areas of health, culture, public administration, vocational training, education, environment, sports, statistics and agriculture.

Brazil was the first country to recognise the independence of the Republic of Angola.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Charlene’s Story: The evolution of Rwanda’s HIV response through positive eyes

Charlene Byukusenge fondly remembers the carefree days of her childhood. “Playing outside, dancing, sharing toys with friends – those were the days,” she says with a nostalgic smile. But one hospital visit changed everything, revealing a harsh reality that would change her life forever.

At age nine, Charlene learned she had been carrying HIV since birth, transmitted to her and her younger sister by her mother before her untimely death. In the early 1990s, there were no Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMCTC) services, and HIV/AIDS awareness was practically non-existent. Due to the stigma surrounding the virus at the time, Charlene’s close family members abandoned her. Tragically, her father had also passed away in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, leaving the sisters to fend for themselves. As a result, she went from being a normal kid to being “that orphan with HIV.”

However, the 28-year-old activist looks back with gratitude on the evolution of the government’s response to her condition, thanks to continuous support from the World Health Organization (WHO). Consequently, Rwanda has successfully stemmed the tide of the HIV epidemic, reducing the burden from 17% within three years of the virus hitting the country in 1983 to the current 3%, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

“At school, students would shun me while teachers favoured me as they thought I was dying. Even nurses ill-treated me because they did not understand,” Charlene recalls the stigma surrounding HIV when she was growing up. However, since 2005, the Ministry of Health in Rwanda has worked to combat this by updating HIV guidelines every two years. The reforms included age-specific counselling and training for healthcare providers and vigorous media campaigns like “STOP SIDA” (stop AIDS) to increase understanding of the disease in the communities.

These efforts, along with the scaling up of testing, PMTCT, and antiretroviral treatment (ART) services to over 550 health facilities covering more than 95% of the country, including rural communities, have significantly contributed to reducing the HIV burden in Rwanda.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) reports that over the last 15 years, Rwanda has been able to bring down new HIV infections by 56%. “83.8% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are aware of their positive status,” shares Dr Patrick Ndimubanzi, MoH Executive Secretary of Human Resources. Furthermore, “97.5% of PLHIV who know their status are on antiretroviral treatment (ART), and 90.1% of PLHIV on ART are virally suppressed,” he explains.

Additionally, treatments available today are a far cry from when Charlene was first diagnosed. The only option available to her at that time was Bactrim, an antibiotic for infection prevention. Immunity was measured through CD4 count; Charlene’s count was high, but she was still considered ‘healthy’ despite her troubling symptoms. However, thanks to Rwanda’s adoption of the WHO “Treat All” policy, strategies have been revised multiple times over the years, recommending treatment for all HIV-infected individuals regardless of CD4 or other criteria.

Regular revisions of policy mean the treatment itself has improved with time. For example, Charlene explains that she used to take many pills with side effects such as headaches and skin rashes, making it easy for people to spot and stigmatize her, leading to poor adherence. However, with adjustments made by the government and WHO, Charlene can now swallow just one pill daily with minimal side effects without anyone else being the wiser.

As Charlene navigated the treacherous waters of dating, government-trained HIV peer mentors showed her how to protect herself and others. And when it comes to declaring her HIV status in relationships, Charlene believes that honesty is the best policy, even if it means facing heartbreak.

United Nations Resident Coordinator to Rwanda, Dr Ozonnia Ojielo, echoes Charlene’s bold and honest approach to love, as he believes young people must be at the forefront of the fight against HIV. He says: “Data in Rwanda reveals that 33% of new HIV infections occur among girls aged 15-24 years, with HIV transmission twice as high for adolescent girls and young women than it is for boys and young men. The UN family will continue collaborating with the Government of Rwanda to ensure that the country stays on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”

Charlene has triumphed over HIV discrimination, becoming a successful solar electrical engineer. Through the support of the Rwandan government, Charlene’s story showcases the power of collaboration in improving the lives of those living with HIV and the importance of access to tailored regimens, counselling, and friendly service delivery for those affected by the virus.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

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Ethiopia kicks off a nationwide integrated measles vaccination campaign targeting over 15.5 million children

The Federal Ministry of Health (MoH) officially launched a nationwide integrated measles vaccination campaign on 22 December 2022 in an event officiated by honourable State Minister of Health Dr Dereje Duguma in Siriti Health Center at Akaki Kaliti Sub-City in Addis Ababa. The national launching event was conducted in the presence of government officials, donors, immunization partners, religious and community leaders and the media.

Honorable State Minister Dr. Dereje Duguma commended all partners who supported this effort and urged regional health bureaus and health workers to use this opportunity to conduct an effective vaccination campaign with wide coverage and boost the target population’s immunity. He also called upon all parents and caregivers to actively participate during the integrated measles vaccination campaign by presenting their children for vaccination.

The integrated measles supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) are targeting 15.5 million children aged 9-59 months across the nation, including hard-to-reach populations in drought- and conflict-affected areas.

Other lifesaving services are integrated with the nationwide measles vaccination campaign, including catchup routine immunization for zero-dose and under-vaccinated children; nutrition services for children: screening for acute malnutrition, vitamin A drops, and deworming against intestinal parasites; identification of obstetric fistula in women; identification of clubfoot in children; and COVID-19 vaccination.

Speaking on behalf of immunization partners, Dr Paul Mainuka, Acting Head of WHO Ethiopia Immunization, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Cluster said, “I congratulate the Ministry of Health for the initiative taken to reduce the risk of measles outbreaks in the country and bring ongoing outbreaks to an end, thus protecting children from preventable sickness and death caused by measles.” He added, “It is also commendable that the campaign is integrated with other live-saving interventions such as COVID-19 vaccination and nutrition services.”

In Ethiopia, measles remains a major health problem with several outbreaks occurring in different parts of the country. To address this, Ethiopia adopted and started implementing key strategies to reduce the burden of measles and head towards elimination through strengthening routine immunization and SIAs, surveillance, and case management.

Nutrition-related health problems are among the top causes of morbidity and mortality in children in developing countries, including in Ethiopia. Many women in Ethiopia are suffering from obstetric fistula which is a devastating condition with a negative impact on the health, social and economic well-being of affected women and their families; therefore, the identification and referral of those women will provide them with opportunities to receive much-needed treatment. The integration and referral of club foot will also be a good opportunity for those affected children to avoid life-long disability as club foot is correctable if detected and treated early.

The MoH is conducting the integrated measles vaccination campaign in collaboration with the regional health bureaus and immunization partners including WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI.

As part of the preparation for this nationwide integrated campaign, advocacy and community engagement were conducted at different levels to ensure the full engagement of all stakeholders, including the media, government sectors, health and immunization partners, and the community.

WHO supported this campaign financially and technically and has deployed more than 100 experts to support the campaign implementation in pre-, intra- and post-campaign activities, including monitoring quality of services provision during the campaign.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

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Ethiopia holds a consultative and advocacy meeting on the implementation of the national cholera elimination plan

On 26 December 2022, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health led a consultative and advocacy meeting on the implementation of the National Cholera Elimination Plan (NCP), which aims to reduce cholera cases in to zero by 2028, and which was launched in May 2022 during the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva Switzerland.

The consultative and advocacy meeting brought together government and non-government stakeholders including the Ministry of Water and Energy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, regional health and water bureaus, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and other partners to discuss on mechanisms for multi-sectoral engagement for the implementation of the NCP.

Despite years of control efforts, cholera still occurs in 30 countries globally and annually kills more than 140 000 people. Its burden and impact is highest in the African Region, where it is endemic in many countries, and sickens and kills many every year in at least 10 countries where annual outbreaks occur. Ethiopia is among the countries that experience periodic outbreaks that affect hundreds and result in loss of life.

“We are acutely aware that cholera is not only a health problem, but a disease rooted in socio-economic conditions such as access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation. Therefore, the Ministry of Health is collaborating with other sectors and partners to control, and eventually eliminate, cholera from Ethiopia,” said Excellency Dr Lia Tadesse, Minister of Health.”

To eliminate this disease and protect the people of Ethiopia, and in line with the Health Sector Transformation Plan 2021-2025, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health collaborated with partners to develop the National Cholera Elimination Plan (NCP) outlining a strategy and detailed plan to reduce the number of cases in hotspots in Ethiopia down to zero by 2028. This plan follows the Global Roadmap to 2030, the strategy to end cholera that was launched by the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) – a consortium of global cholera partners – in 2017, and adopted by the WHO African Region in 2018.

Dr Paul Mainuka, Officer in Charge of WHO Ethiopia, reiterated the call to a multi-sectoral approach to ending cholera. “We need to strengthen leadership and coordination, WaSH, surveillance, laboratory and reporting, build strong health systems build human capacity and use oral cholera vaccines in endemic and hotspot areas together with risk communication and community engagement,” he said. Dr Mainuka also reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to work with all stakeholders to attain elimination of cholera in Ethiopia.

The National Cholera Elimination Plan is a guiding document to ensure water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) infrastructure and services are established in all high-risk areas, and adequate case management, and oral cholera vaccines are readily in place for prevention and response in case of outbreaks. This can be achieved through the highest levels of political commitment coupled with resource mobilization to implement these effective tools to prevent deaths and protect livelihoods of the Ethiopian people. The stakeholders and advocacy meeting called on all stakeholders to contribute with their mandates, expertise and resources towards the goal of eliminating cholera form Ethiopia by 2028, as outlined in the NCP.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

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What Americans Googled Most in 2022

If Google searches are a window into what Americans are really thinking about, then millions of us were focused on a daily online word game developed by a New York-based software engineer.

The impact of the term, Wordle, the most-searched term in 2022, is what surprised Simon Rogers, trends data team lead at Google, the most about this year’s data.

“All the top trending definitions are related to Wordles and the effect it had on our data can not be overstated,” Rogers told VOA in an email.

The top five most popular Google searches in 2022 — Wordle, Election results, Betty White, Queen Elizabeth and Bob Saget — also focused on politics and famous people who died this year.

With 92% of the search engine market share globally, Google is the dominant way Americans seek information about the world.

“Google searches are reflective of what we really care about,” Rogers says. “It tends to reflect what we really care about with an honesty you don’t find in any other data set.”

The top news searches in 2022 were: Election results, Queen Elizabeth passing and Ukraine. People also wanted to know how to pronounce Qatar and Kyiv; and about things like gas prices, COVID tests and voting that were nearest to them. They also sought information on how to help Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees, abortion rights and Uvalde (the scene of a mass U.S. school shooting in Texas).

“While we may expect the worst or be cynical about human motives, that’s not what the data shows,” Rogers says. “We want to help the people of Ukraine or host refugees. We want to help our friends if they have depression and we want to donate to good causes. That’s all reflected in the data.”

Rogers says there were other themes that struck him about the 2022 search data.

“It was an incredibly intense year with really big events that were all reflected in the way we searched,” he says. “The midterms [elections], for example, were actually the top searched midterms of all time. But there were also searches that really spoke to the theme of change or improvement. People searched for ‘jobs that help’ more than ‘jobs that travel’, for instance.”

In 2021, there was some focus on COVID-19 vaccines, stimulus checks and people like Gabby Petito, Kyle Rittenhouse and Brian Laundrie – all of whom were associated with violence and death.

“Last year, it was really about coming through the pandemic and learning how to venture out again. This year is about the next stage of that journey,” Rogers says. “While [Google] Trends doesn’t predict the future, given this year’s theme around change, next year we might start to see the ways that people have changed.”

Source: Voice of America

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Pioneering US Television Journalist Barbara Walters Dies at 93

Barbara Walters, one of the most visible women on U.S. television as the first female anchor on an evening news broadcast and one of TV’s most prominent interviewers, has died at age 93, her longtime ABC home network said on Friday.

Walters, who created the popular ABC women’s talk show The View in 1997, died Friday at her home in New York, Robert Iger, chief executive of ABC’s corporate parent, the Walt Disney Co., said on Twitter.

In a broadcast career spanning five decades, Walters interviewed an array of world leaders, including Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi, Saddam Hussein of Iraq and every U.S. president and first lady since Richard and Pat Nixon.

She earned 12 Emmy awards, 11 of those while at ABC News, the network said.

Walters began her journalism career on NBC’s The Today Show in the 1960s as a writer and segment producer. She made broadcast history as the first woman co-anchor on a U.S. evening newscast, opposite Harry Reasoner.

Source: Voice of America

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